In Pictures and In Words/2

I'm breaking the no two blog posts in one day rule because the first was just to share my guest post. This one to for my regularly scheduled programming. We are now on Section Two of the amazing book In Pictures and In Words by Katie Wood Ray. This study is being hosted by Mrs. Deedee Wills.

In Chapter 7 which begins Section 2, we are introduced to twelve techniques of illustrating. The illustration techniques shown completely changed the way I look and think about picture books. I have always felt like I really helped kids investigate what they were looking at, but I was missing so much.

Knowledge is power.

I am now talking about illustrations in a way I never have before. I was using my 5 and 6 year olds to look at Red Book the Caldecott Award Winner by Barbara Lehman while I described perspective. Then I was saying, "Hey why do you think that girl is so little?" My son would say, "well she's in the sky so she just looks little she's really her same size, but the person drawing the picture wanted to be sure we understood how high up she was." Awesome!

I think the major learning I've gotten from reading Chapter 7 is that children (and grownups) need to make decisions before they write, read, or illustrate. Decision making is going to be my hot topic this year no matter what grade I teach.